Who is that man? It almost looks like Guy, but without the coveralls, it's hard to tell. :-)

It IS me - honest. Because I'm a cheap, er frugal $hit, those are insulated coveralls so I can keep the heater set to a minimum when I do turn it on. Too danged warm for those right now. Need to get some lighter ones since global warming seems to be fooking up our "Winter."

Today was a "non-greasy" day anyway. Looking over/measuring Mike's cylinder/head, welding up and machining a rear turn signal bracket and mounting same for a Suzuki GV1200.

Tomorrow we get messy. Mounting 2 tires on an F650, honing Mike's cylinder, and tearing the top end off that Polaris ATV I've finally got parts/tools for.

Good news today...the XRL does not require surgery just some simple out patient procedures

Guys tip of the week for frozen bolts...

Give you another quick tip: Put some anti-seize on your cylinder/head bolts before installing them. Prevents their threads from galling up in the aluminum so you can get an accurate torque reading when cinching them up.

Managed to get the new ride inspected for free at Ultimate Cycle. They took me right in and didn't charge me since I had previously purchased a bike there.

I was politely told that I should put the reflectôrs back on it. I guess those are just one of the other things the PO removed to save weight. Took the bike out to Powhatan and Cumberland to a couple of unpaved roads. I had been on these before with the wee, it was a totally different feeling. I can tell this is going to be fun off road.

Also rode across town and back. Seems to do pretty good on the street too. Smooth even up to 70mph and fine in traffic. Only downside is that the fuel light came on at about 80 miles. Filled up at 90 miles with 1.5 gallons.

My wife just got back from MD yesterday after spending 3 weeks up there trying to make final closing arrangements on her parent's house, and tending to the needs of my older, very pregnant daughter.

About an hour ago she gets a call from the nursing home/hospital where both her parents are saying they don't think her father will make it through the night.... which sucks. His wishes are that he NOT be on any form of life support, so what ever happens, happens.

She's not going up tonight, but will hit the road in the early a.m. to get up there to be with him JIC.

She just visited with them before she left yesterday and didn't think he even knew she was there, so this isn't totally unexpected. Fortunately, for her, both of them were put in a nursing home a little over a year ago, so she has reconciled the fact that they were both in a steady decline over that year and the inevitable would eventually occur. Still, I pray for her well being now. She often told me that if her mother passed away, she didn't know what she would do. Also, my wife is a very religious person, so I know she is putting her trust in the Lord to carry her through all of this. And He will.

Ironic that her dad was one of the original "tough" guys in the early days of the OSS. He's been through a hell of a lot, especially after being captured by the Germans when he parachuted in behind enemy lines during the war. Even though the rest of his career was spent working for the CIA, he never got over all that he went through when in a POW camp, and I know that all of that has had an eventual effect on his health in his later years. Funny, since my Army career was kinda on the "spook" side, we had a very good relationship and could understand where each of us was coming from.

Ironic that her dad was one of the original "tough" guys in the early days of the OSS. He's been through a hell of a lot, especially after being captured by the Germans when he parachuted in behind enemy lines during the war....

Does anybody have a Vanson size 48 I could try on for sizing? I am looking at one in the flea market. I found one on Craig's List that was a size 44 that I thought should be my size. I tried it on and it was never going to zip.

Thanks,
Craig

__________________“People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them." Dave Barry

Does anybody have a Vanson size 48 I could try on for sizing? I am looking at one in the flea market. I found one on Craig's List that was a size 44 that I thought should be my size. I tried it on and it was never going to zip.

Thanks,
Craig

I've got a 46........

__________________MikeReinheitsgebot'07990ADV '08 530EXCR '04 XR650LBonsai Elephant - "Life without a 990 is no life at all!"